All CNAs are required to pass the CNA exam, which confirms that students are eligible to take responsibility for the job after completing the CNA training program. Becoming certified is the ultimate requirement of the job, so all CNAs try to get better marks in the exam. Clinical proficiency (clinical skills test) and conceptual knowledge (written exam) cover the CNA exam.
On the day of the exam, it becomes difficult for most students to bear the stress of the exam, and they get baffled and do not make it through. Some students get distressed when it comes to demonstrating how much they have learned, or their minds go blank, making more mistakes even if they know the accurate answer.
Do you find exams stressful even after studying correctly? To help you out, in this article, we have included the pro tips to pass the certified nursing assistant exam and crack the proper answer in the written exam.
Top Tips to Clear The CNA Exam
Of all the tips, the best one is to be prepared. All the strategies and information will fall apart if you are unaware of the material. The written portion will be of MCQ type, and in the CNA skills test portion, students will be asked to perform the five skills to test their abilities.
Here we have mentioned general tips to help you clear the testing hurdle.
1. Come Sooner
Make sure to be at the testing center at least 20 to 30 minutes before the beginning of the exam. Arriving late can make you feel unsettled and flustered, so it’s good to arrive early and take time to focus and relax. The plus point of arriving early is that you’ll have enough time to talk with other students and revise the key points of your skills.
2. Pay Attention to All Instructions
When the evaluator is giving instructions, pay attention and if you get confused, ask questions to clarify it. You will get a worse score if you fail to follow the instructions precisely. Ask questions about unfamiliar devices or equipment before the start of the exam.
3. Speedup Yourself
Before you start, overview the entire test quickly and sketch in your mind to see how to speed up yourself and complete the test within the given time.
4. Attentively Read Directions
It’s important to carefully read all the directions and ensure you understand them properly.
5. Strategies for MCQs
It’s essential to manage the time during the exam so you don’t miss any questions. As you will be given a limited amount of time, endeavor the easy questions before answering the harder ones. Each question has four likely answers; read all and eliminate the incorrect ones. Pay attention to the keywords and qualifiers like not, except, usually, always, never, etc.
6. Look for Hints
Few questions have hints, and these cues can assist you in answering the other questions. Look for the minor details if the two answers are identical.
7. Follow The 1st Instinct
If you have prepared well for the exam and feel confident, always follow your 1st instinct after thoughtfully and carefully reading the question and all the potential answers. If the question doesn’t include a numerical calculation, don’t switch your answer. Inspect numerical calculations to look for possible mistakes you might have made during the analysis.
8. True Statements
Sometimes questions are very tricky, and the answers will be correct, but you will feel like the answers don’t accurately fit the question being asked. So before answering, make sure to read the complete question properly.
Read Also: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Skills Test – 6 Must-Know Tips
Tips to Crack the Right Answer
The first checkpoint to get the license is a written test, which students must pass. This multiple-choice questions-based exam is stressful to many candidates, although they have studied. There are numerous methods to choose the correct answer, even if you are unsure about it or nervous about it. An accurate answer is one of the options, and you will not need to alone come up with it. Confidence and knowledge are of utmost importance to clear the written exam.
To help you choose a valid answer, we have developed six tips to help you clear the exam.
1. Read The Questions Clearly
Don’t be in a hurry; always clearly read the question even if you think you know the correct answer. There is the possibility that you may miss critical information.
2. Think
After reading the question, don’t read the options and think about the correct answer. This will help to minimize error or confusion. Recall what you have learned during the classes; this will help you to make the right choice which will help you to succeed.
3. Select The Best Answer
Among the given options, select the best answer. Sometimes students may have to make the most appropriate choice from the four options. Consider each option like a true/false statement and carefully read each option.
4. Watch Out
Take care of the situations like “which of the following is not correct” or “all the given options are true except .” You may forget that you have to choose the inaccurate option and may select one of the correct options.
5. All or None of the Above
Another condition you need to look at carefully is “all or none of the above,” You have to look at all three options individually. The “none or all option” doesn’t need to be always correct.
6. Guessing
Sometimes you may have to guess the answer to the question if you don’t know. You can eliminate 1 or 2 choices that are wrong and then see the remaining choices compare them with the question, and see which one makes sense.
Additional Tips from Experts
- Try not to waste too much time on 1 question. Mark the tough questions and solve them at the end. After a while, you may find the accurate answer, or sometimes answering the other questions can help you to find the correct answer.
- The choices are mostly incorrect, saying “never” or “always.”
- Breathe, stay positive, and don’t get overwhelmed by stress. Attempt one question at one-time.
If you work hard and honestly prepare for the CNA Test in a reputed CNA school like Gabriel Health Institute and are confident, given tips will ensure you get certified.
